Vehicle



Sept. 20, 1938. R. s. SANFORD ET AL VEHICLE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 OriginalFiled Feb. 6, 1932 Sept 20, 1938. R. s. SANFORD r A1. 2,131,015

VEHICLE Original Filed Feb. 6, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 AT ORNEY Sept. 20,1938. y R, s. SANFORD ET AL 2,131,015

' VEHICLE Original Filed Feb. 6, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. ROY 5.SIM/FORD Ma/WME/ey W ECON/EY ATT RNEY Sept. 20, 1938. R. s. SANFORD ErAl.

VEHICLE Original Filed Feb. 6, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 20, 1938. R.s. SANFORD Er AL 2,131,015

VEHICLE Original Filed Feb. 6, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Roy 5. SAA/F090Navraag/Ry M 5cm/Kay A ORNEY Sept.- 20, 1938. R. s. SANFORD ET A1.

VEHICLE Original Filed F'eb. 6, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Sept. 20,1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEHICLE Original application February6, 1932, Serial No. 591,427. Divided and this application October 22,19,34, Serial No. 749,358

6 Claims.

This invention 'relates to vehicles such as automobiles, and isillustrated as embodied in the chassis of a passenger car, theparticular chassis shown having individually-sprung wheels and novelpower-transmitting mechanism between the engine and the drive wheels.

An important object of the invention is to simplify the controls (e. g.,the controls for the speed-change or gear-shifting means, for the clutchor its equivalent, ior a lock-out for a freevvheei drive, ior thebraking system, etc), to reduce to a minimum the number and complexityof Ythe operations required of the driver.

ffbne or the principal features of the invention, which is verydesirable although not necessarily associated with individual springsuspensions for the wheels, is the provision between the drive Wheels oia unit (preferably supported on the chassis frame) replacing theconventional difierential and not only driving the axle shafts in thegeneral manner of a differential but also including the speed-changemeans or gearing,

Various features of novelty relate to arranging so that thegear-shifting is done by power, preferably derived from the vacuum ofthe engine intake manifold, and so that the normal second speed anddirect drive, which are the only speeds used in the greater part of thedriving ora car, are arranged for e, separate simplified control whilethe low speed and reverse gears, which are used much less, arecontrolled by separate means readily accessible to the driver butnormally out of his way.

We prefer to incorporate in the above-described unit a novel free-wheeldrive between the change-speed gearing and the wheels, one of thefeatures of which is the use of a power-operated lock-out or safetydevice which is not' only capable of manual control but which actsautomatically, if anything goes wrong, to loclr out the freewheelingaction and give positive drive to the wheels and lalso arranged to beVinterconnected with the manual control so as to be automatically lockedout and Provide positive drive when reverse gear is selected andy toautomatically return to its former action when the manual control ismoved to select any 'other speed `than reverse.

operated clutch, shown as operated by a novel vacuum power unit, iscontrolled by the driver, for example being actuated to throw out theclutch when the accelerator pedal is released, and preferably hasassociated therewith a heel pedal or the like controlling `the powerunit In one very desirable arrangement a power- (Cl. 'I4-334) whichoperates the second speed-high speed gearing- In the form shown in thedrawings, both second and high speeds are direct drives, although asilent gear of some kind may be used for second speed if desired.

Thus the throttle, the clutch, and most 'of the speed changes (i. e.,all but low speed and reverse) are controlled merely by the position ofthe right foot. For example, in the arrangement shown in the drawings,rocking the toe upward and coming down on the heel operates (l) to slowup the engine speed, (2) to throw out the clutch, and (3) to shift :fromnigh speed (or the usual direct drive) to second speed (or from secondto high, as the case may be), Whereupon reversing the movement of the'foot and coming down on the toe (for-example as a trado light changesfrom red or orange to green) operates (4) to throw in the clutch and (5)to speed up the engine. This is especially effective when theabove-described free-Wheel arrangement is used, as this eliminates allpossibility of clashingI the gears in shifting. We prefer to interlockthe gear-shift with the clutch control, so that the gears cannot beshifted unless the clutch is out. The above-described arrangement, ashereinafter more fully discussed, is a modification of that described inapplication No. 580,434, iled December il, 1931, by Victor W. Kliesrathand Roy S. Sanford, and the broader claims thereon are in said Kliesrathand Sanford application.

Low gear and reverse, which are used relatively seldom by most drivers,together with a fourth or extra-low speed if desired, may be obtained bya set of auxiliary change-speed gears, shown in the drawings forconvenience as being or" the progressive type and preferably forming apart of the above-described transmission-dixerential l unit. 'Ihesegears, according to another feature of the present invention, areshifted by vacuum or other power, shown as controlled by a novelfollow-up valve pre-set by means such as a selector handle on theinstrument board or steering wheel, and preferably rendered operative toshift to the selected gear by the throwing out of the clutch the nexttime the accelerator pedal is released.

A safety device may be provided positively to prevent unintentionalpre-setting of the selector handle or its equivalent in reverse"position so that the operator will know not to use this position beforecoming to a vfull stop because, while such a shift may be made smoothlyand without clashing by the mechanism herein described (the clutch beingout and the drive wheels free-Wheelv ing), the re-engagement of theclutch with the gears in reverse and the vehicle still in forward motionwould throw an undesirable strain on the Yentire power-transmittingsystem from the en gine to the wheels.

Other features of the invention relate to a novel substitute for aconventional differential, arranged to drive the slower wheel ratherthan the wheel oiIering the least resistance;` to the arrangement of thebrakes and their operating mechanism; to the structural features of thevarious devices included in the combinations described above, and toother novel and desirable structures and features which will be apparentfrom the following description of the illustrative embodiments shown inthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l` is a diagrammatic assembly view,A

- high-'second gear-shift vacuum unit, this unit be- 1 the high-'secondgear-shift;

ing shown in plan in Figure 1 and being located just above the lowerright-hand'po'rtion of Figure 2; 1

Figure 4 is a horizontal section. corresponding yto the upper left-handportion of Figure 2, of a modiiied form of power unit for thelow-reverse gearshift;

Figure 5 is a vertical section on a larger scale than the correspondingpart of Figure 1, through part of the iioorboard and through the controlfor Figure 6 is a section, substantially horizontal,

` through the clutch control power unit shown in top plan in Figure i;

Figure 'I is a section through a modified form of gear-shift power unit;

Figure 8 is a'diagram showing the control of a power unit such as theone shown in Figure 7;

' Figure 9 is a vertical section through. part o f the noorboard,showing a parte: the aoorboard depressible to throw out the clutchmanually if the power fails;

Figures 10 and 11 are respectively a front ele.-

vation and a vertical section, showing on a larger v scale than Figure 1the control for 4the low-reverse gear-shift;

Figures 12 and 13 are similar views of the modified low-reversecontroLshown in Figure 8;

Figure 14 is an elevation, looking in the direction of the arrows I4-I4in Figure 11, of a perforated disk forming part of the controls of [bothFigures 10-11 and Figures 121 3;

Figures 15, 18, and 17 arel tions through the disk respectively on. thelin il-II, |8-I, and I1 .I1 of Figure 14; and

Figure 18 is a vertical section showing the brake pedal and the parts ofthe brake system immediately associated therewith. s

The vehicle selected for illustration is an automobile chassis includingan internal combustion engine 2l, having the usual intake manifold 22and carburetor 24, with Lthe passage from the carburetor to the manifoldcontrolled by the usual throttle valve having an operating arm 2l. Thethrottle arm 28 is connected, by means such as a lengthwise-movablerod-28, with an accelerator pedal or the like, and is ordinarily alsoindependently operable through a second lost-mw,

tion connection 32, for example, by the usual hand throttle lever on thesteering column. The accelerator pedal 30 or'its equivalent is pivotallymounted on the iioodboard 34, for manipulation by the toe of the driversright foot. The rod 28 has' a lost-motion connection with the throttlearm 28, so that it may have a short additional motion `(for manipulatingthe clutch-control valve ydescribed below) after the throttle is closed.

The engine is arranged to drive the vehicle by driving road wheels 38through axle shafts 38. While not necessarily so limited, the inventionis especially applicable to an arrangement in which there is no axlecarrying the wheels 36, instead of which the wheels are lindividuallysprung, with vsuitable universal joints at both ends of both the axleshafts 38.

The present invention has mainly todo with the powertransmittingmechanism through which the engine 2li drives the axle shafts 38 ortheir equivalents, and to a system of simplifled controls therefor.

' Immediately behind the engine iiywheei and its housing 40 is arrangeda clutch of any desired character, in a clutch housing 42, through whichclutch` the engine drives a propeller shaft 44. The clutch is operated,against the-resistance of the usual clutch springs (not shown), by aclutch .shaft or the like 48 (Figures 6 and 9) normally operated by apower device acting on an arm 50 secured on the clutch shaft. Spring 46holds the manual lever 82 in the normal position shown'l' The powerdevice illustrated in Figure 6 vincludes a cup-shaped cylinder 52 havingits open end engaging and bolted to the rear face of the clutch housing42, over an opening therein. Within the cylinder is a suitable piston 54shown connected to the clutch-operating arm 58 by a piston rod 55passing slidably through bearing in an end plate 5s closing the rrwlmind of the cylinder 52. Y y

The end plate. 58 has a rearwardly-opening check valve 60, permitting.air to enter freely be- A tween the end plate and the piston as theVpiston is sucked rearwardly to throw out the clutch. The end'plate alsohas an air-exhaust passage 82, controlled by a slide valve 84 operatedby a lever 86 connected by a Bowden wire 68 passing through a Bowdenconduit 1li (Figurel) and connected to a cross-bar or the like 12vmounted on. the accelerator connection 28. Thus theex.

and therefore the speed of re-engagement of the clutch whentheaccelerator pedal is depressed.;

is controlled according to the extent of depression of the accelerator,and therefore substantially according to the speed of the engine.

The cylinder 52 is connected, through a fitting 14, with the intakemanifold 22 by means of a conduit 'I6 controlled by a -valve I8operatively connected to the cross-ban 12 so that the pistonl4isautomatically sucked rearwardly to disengage l the clutch'wheneverthe accelerator pedal 30 haus't of air-.from the space ahead of thepiston 54,

ator pedal is released, and is re-engaged by de- (pressing theaccelerator pedal, the speed of rerengagement being controlled accordingto the enginespeed.

If for any reason the above-described power clutch operator failstowork, the driver can depress a pivoted section 80 (Figure 9) of theiloorboard, thereby operating an arm 82 having a oneway connection withthe clutch shaft 48 and operating the clutch manually. 'I'he arm 82 isshown provided at its upper end with a roller enf gaging the pivotedoorboard section 80. A suiture 2, and which in the particular embodimentshown in these figures includes the following principal parts:A (l) alow-speed, direct-drive, reverse, change-speed gearing with a novelvacuum power operator, (2) a high-second gearshift independent of (1)and also provided with a vacuum power operator, (3) a differential orits equivalent, being shown as one form oi' what is usuallycalled alocking differential, (4) afreewheel drive to each shaft 38, (5) alock-out, preferably power-operated, for the free-wheel drives, and (6)a pair of hydraulic or other brakes acting on the wheels 36 through theaxle shafts 36. The above parts are all vcarried by, and are mostlyhoused within, a housing or gear-box 0d `formed in suitable sectionsbolted together.

The propeller shaft 44 (which may have universal joints 86 at itsforward and rear ends) drives a short shaft 88 journalled in a bearing90 carried by the gear-box 84, and formed at its rear end (inside thegear-box) as a small pinion meshing. with and driving a large gear 82forming part ofa three-gear cluster rotatably mounted on a xedcounter-shaft 94. 'The gear cluster also includes a medium sized gear 86and a small gear 98, the last-named gear meshing with a reverse idlergear |00 (carried by a removable cap above or below the plane of Figure2, and therefore indicated in dotted lines).

Piloted in the rear end of shaft 88, in the roller bearing |02, is theforward end of a driven /shaft |04 splined or keyed at its rear end toan aligned pinion shaft |06 journalled in bearings |08 and |I0 carriedby the gear-box 84. Splined on the driven shaft |04 is a .movable drivengear ||2 slidable by a suitable shifter fork ||4 from the neutralposition shown in AFigure 2, rearwardly to mesh with gear 86 or reversegear |00, or forwardly to bring clutch portions on its forward face intolinter-engagement with corresponding clutch portions on the rear face ofthe pinion and shaft 88 to give direct drive (this vvlast being thenormal position of gear H2).

The shifter fork ||4 or its equivalentis carried byv means such asalengthwise-slidable shifter rod |'6 having a series of notchesinterlocking with a spring-pressed ball ||8 to giveV the followingpositions, in order from the lower (rear) end of the rod: (1) directdrive, (2*) neutral, (3) low gear (in mesh with gear 86), (4) neutral,and (5) reversel (in mesh'with gear |00).

The shifter rod ||6 is shown rigidly secured, by a cross-bar or the like|20, to a piston rod |22 carried by a double-acting piston |24 in apowerl cylinder |26 mounted on the. gear-box 84. The piston rod |22 ishollow, and contains a slide valve |28 controlling a passage |30 openingthrough the piston |24 into the space below (behind) the piston, and apassage |32 opening above (ahead of) the piston.

if desired' Theupper end of the hollow piston rod communicates with theatmosphere through openings in a plug |34 threaded into the end of thepiston rod, and the lower end of the hollow piston rod communicates withthe atmosphere through a passage |36 which opens outside the powercylinder in all positions of the piston. A iiexible vacuum connection|38 opens inside the hollow piston rod through a 'passage |38" openingthrough an internal collar |40 substantially midway of the piston rodand which passage is controlled by the slide valve |28.

The valve |28 is of the follow-up type, and includes three disconnectedparts: viz., upper and lower valve slides each having an annularexternal groove and passages therefrom leading out through the end ofthe slide away from the collar |40, and a central operating button withrounded ends tting into seats in the adjacent faces of the valve slides,and which is of a size to pass easily through the collar |40, and whichis carried by and secured to the end of a relatively stiff Bowden wire|42 passing through the plug |04.

In the operation of the power device just deg scribed, the valve |28 canbe pre-set for any gear position desired, before suction is appliedthrough conduit |30. ton on its end are pushed downwardly (i. e.,rearwardly), the lower slide valve will be pushed down to acorresponding position. This connects the vacuum conduit |38 throughpassage |30 with the space below (behind) the piston |20, leaving thespace above (in front of) the piston connected to the atmosphere. Or ifthe wire is pulled upwardly (forwardly) instead, the upper valve slideis pulled in a corresponding direction, connecting the vacuum conduit|38 through passage |32 with the space above (in front of) the piston|24, leaving the space below (behind) the piston connected to theatmosphere.

When now the vacuum is applied through conduit |38, the piston |24follows the valve until the latter regains the position of parts shownin Figure 2, thereby shifting the gears to the position for which thevalve |28 was pre-set.

The Bowden wire |42 is shown passing through a Bowden conduit |44, andas being connected at its forward end to a device such as an arm |46keyed to a shaft |48 connected to a preselector handle |50. The handle|50 is formed with a pointer passing over a scale |52 indicating'thedifferent gear positions.

A valve |4| is also connected to Bowden wire |42 through the medium of atransfer lever |43 and operates to admit atmosphere to the cylinder 298through the rearward portion of conduit 306 when the selector valve |50is moved into reverse position thus providing positive drive in reversespeed.

To guard against unint ntial shifting into reverse, and to iixdefinitely e different selector valve positions, arm |46 may be pressedyieldlngly by means such as a spring |54 to hold a pair of projectionsorballs |56 yieldingly in the opposite pair of two series of roundeddepressions |58 formed on the rear face of a disk |60 iixedly mounted onthe back of the instrument board |82 opposite the selector handle |50.The depressions |58 corresponding to reverse, and to the neutralposition just before reverse, are deeper than the others, so that ittakes a substantial effort to turn the selector handle |50 to reverseposition, and the driver cannot do so unintentionally.

If the wire |42 and but- A selection and if desired without an interlockvwith the clutch control, but with provision for manual shifting if thepower fails.

In this arrangement the handle |50 is connected through a. linkage |88with the front portion |88 of a two-partpiston rod. Portion |88telescopes into an outer portion to which the cross-bar and thereforethe shifter rod H8 are connected.

A vacuum connection |12, corresponding to connection |38, and which isconnected to con'- duit 18 if an interlock with the clutch control isdesired and directly to the manifold 22 if no interlock is desired, issecured to piston rod portion |88 in communication with a vacuum pas-`sagel |14 opening outwardly through a collar |18 near the lower (near)end of the piston` rod.

An air passage |18 runs from a groove |80 in the piston rod and opensthrough its lower (rear) end. Air passages |82 are provided between thetelescoping piston rod sections |68 and |10, for

example by making 'the latter a loose fit about the former, and anopening |84 provides com-` munication between these air passages andgroove |80.

The outer piston rod section |10 is secured at .its lower (rear) end toa valve .chamber |88 carrying a double-acting power piston |88corresponding to piston |24. The valve chamber is formed'with fourconical seats for valves |90,

|92, |94, |98 sleeved on the inner piston rod section |88, with a valvespring |98 compressed between valves |90 and'l92, and a valve spring 200compressedfbetween valves |94 and |96. The

collar |18 is arranged between the valves |92 y and |94, and has a shortlost motion before engaging either of them. The valve chamber is formedwith ports 202 from the space between valves |90 and |92 to thespacebelow (behind) the piston, and with ports 204 from the spacebetween valves |94 and |98 to the space above (in front of) the piston.A cup-shaped cap 208 forms a chamber over the lower end of the valvechamber |88.

In operation, with the yparts as shown the vacuum connectionis sealedoff by the valves |92 'and |94, which are held against theirseats bysprings |98 and 200. The space above (in front of) the piston4communicates with the atmospliere through ports 204, pastl the openvalve |98,

. |90. through passage |18, groove |80, port |84,

Vand passages |82. v

and through passages |82.. The space below (behind) the pistoncommunicates with the atmosphere through ports 202, past the open valveIf now-4 tension is applied to connections |88,

' part |88 shifts upward (forward), rst closing valve |98 and. .then (bycontact with collar |18) opening valve |94, thereby openingcommunication between the vacuum passage |14 and the space above (aheadof) thev piston. The piston then follows up until the positions shown inFlglne '1 -are regained. .The reverse action takes place if connectionsl|88 are manipulatedv to pushl added where the structure is slightlydifferent. The principal diierence is that the connections are all madeat the end of the piston rod, ln

stead of about the center of it, thus necessitating lengthening some ofthe passages butshortening the assembly somewhat.

|08 has rotatably sleeved thereon a pair of bevel pinions 2|0 and 2|2,of different sizes meshing respectively with a pair of dierent sizedbevel ring gears 2|@ and 2|8. Splined on the pinion shaft |08 are alpairof dog clutches 2|8 and V 220, rigidly connected to be moved in' unisonby shifter forks 222 and 224 which arey rigidly con--l nected :foroperation by the same vertical lever 226. Shifting this assembly.downwardly (rearwardly) interlocks clutch 220 with pinion `2 |2 andgives one speed ;4 shifting it upwardly (forwardly) interlocks clutch2|8 with pinion 2|0 and gives a different speed.

'The vertical lever 228 which operates the above described gear-shiftingmeanshas its upper end connected to a piston rod 228 operad by adouble-acting piston 230111l a cylinder 232 mounted on the top of thegear-box 84. Thepiston rod 228 is formed with a vacuum passage 284communicating with a flexible vacuum conduit 238, and with an airpassage 238 having an air in-V take 240 to which a suitable extension,conduit, or air filter, may be secured if desired.

The piston 23'0 is mounted on a slide valve member 242 sleeved on thepistonrod 228 between two abutments shown as provided by snap rings 244and 248 seated in grooves in the piston rod. 'Ihe slide valve 242 isformed Withports registrable with openings through the sides of pistonrod 228. The ends of the passages 234 and 238 are closed by plugs 248.Springs 280 and 252 clipped to the opposite ends of the cylinder 232,engage the piston 230 and slide valve 242 near the opposite ends of itsstroke. This power oper- `ator is more fully described and is claimedper se in application No. 580,446, led December l1, 1931, by Roy S.Sanford and Robert P. Breese.

The vacuum line 238 is connected to azT-fitting 254 in theclutch-control line 16 (to interlock this gear-shift also ,with theclutch control) through a valve 256 shown in detail in Figure 5. Thisvalve `includes a valve cylinder 258 bolted to the lower face of theoorboard 34 over an opening therein, and containing a valve piston 15Returning now to. Figure 2, the pinion" shaft 280 urged upward by afairly stiff spring 282, and

having a guide .plunger 264 extending through the oorboard and engagedby a heel rest or pedal admitting vacuum to the power device of Figure 3and shifting from whichever pinion and bevel.

gear he has *been using to the other one and thereby in effect changinggears,or, more accu- 2,181,015 krately, changing speeds, since there isdirect drive in both of these speeds.

The above-described power unit piston rod is shown in Figure 3 at theupper and foremost end of its stroke, with pinion 2I2 driving ring gear2 I 6. If the valve 258 is manipulated as described above (and with theclutch control valve 18 also opened if the devices are interlccked witheach other as shown in Figure 1), vacuum enters through conduit 238,passage 234, and the registering ports in the piston rod and the slidevalve 242, behind the piston, While the atmosphere communicates with thespace ahead of the piston through passage 238 and the registering portsin the .piston rod and slide valve ahead of the piston. The pistonthereupon moves toward the other extreme of its movement, engaging nearthe end of its stroke the spring 258, and shifting Y the clutch 228 outof engagement with pinion 2|2 and the clutch 2i8 into engagement withpinion 2l8,`thereby changing speeds.

Now when the heel is raised and the suction is cut off from conduit 238,air enters through a port 288 (Figure 5) into the space behind piston238. With the air pressures now balanced on opposite sides of piston238, spring' 251i shifts the slide valve 222 against the abutment 244,ready for the next cycle of operations.

The two ring gears 2l4 and 2I6 are bolted or otherwise secured together,and are shown by way of illustration as driving the axle shafts 38through what is known as a locking differential". Gear 2I6 is securedto, or integral with, a 'centrai shaft 218 jvournalled in bearings 212in the gear-box 84. On one end of shaft 218 is keyed or splined a clutchmember` 214 having external spiines'and having clutch 'sockets orrecesses in its outer face. There iis a similar clutch member 216 keyedto or formed integrally of the hub part of ring gear 2l5 opposite theshaft 218.

The clutch members 214 and 216 are encircled by and splined to theexternal race members 218 of a pair of overrunning roller or Hortonclutches, the wedge rollers of which are indicated at 280. The innerraces 282 of these roller clutches are splined to short drive shafts 284piloted in opposite ends of shaft 218 and journalled in bearings 288carried by the gear-box 84, and connected to the axle shafts 38 throughsuitable universal joints 288 (not shown in detail). There are also, ofcourse, universal joints (not shown) at the outer ends. of the axleshafts 38 and through which the axle shafts drive the wheels 36.

It win be seen that, with the parts 1n the p04 sitions just described,the roller clutches 218- 288-282 act as free-wheel units through whichthe ring gear 218 (and therefore the engine 20) can drive the wheels,Ialthough the wheels cannot vdrive the engine. In roundingA a corner, orwhen from any other reason the one wheel turns faster than the other,all the power goes to the slower wheel and the'faster wheel overruns orfreewheel's. On a down grade or when the motor is not driving the car,both wheels can overrun or free-wheel.

` It is sometimes desirable (for example when it is desired to use theengine as a brake) to lock 292 moving in a short slot 294 in thegear-box.

'Ihese shift members shift the two roller clutches toward each otherwhen it is desired to lock them out, whereupon clutch projections orpins on the inner ends of the parts 282 interlock in rigid clutchingengagement with the clutch recesses on the outer faces of clutch members21d and 218.

The shift members 288 and 292 are connected to opposite ends of adouble-ended piston rod 288 which passes through both ends of adouble-ended cylinder 288 and is secured at its center to a piston 388.rPhe left end of cylinder 288 is vented to the atmosphere at 282. Anannularlye arranged series or return springs Mid urges the piston dit@to the left, to lock out the ree=wheel units.

A vacuum line 288 (Figure l) is connected to the side of cylinder 228opposite the air vent 282 and is controlled by a valve @d8 of anydesired form which connects it directly to the intake manifold 22.

While a separate control may be provided for this valve if desired, itis shown connected to the hand throttle control rod 82 which, by reasonof the lost motion provided, acts successivelyfirst to close the valveddii, then to prevent actuation of the clutch control valve 18 bypreventing complete release movement of the accelerator pedal, andfinally gradually to open the engine throttle valve.

it will be noted that if anything goes wrong with the vacuumconnections, the free-wheel lockout .described above becomesautomatically operative.

Another feature of the invention relates to loeating the brakes on theabove-described unit, where they form part of the sprung weight,preferably between the free-wheel units 218- 2811;-282 and the universaljoints 288. As shown, th brake drums3i2 are secured to and carried bythe shafts 284 just outside the gear-box 84. Suitable internal brakes8M, shown actuated by hydraulic cylinders 3l8 but which may be of anydesired character, are carried by backing plates 3l8 secured to theopposite sides of the gearbox 84.

The brakes illustrated form part of a fourwheei brake system connectedby hydraulic lines 328 to a master cylinder 222 (Figure 18) operated bya service brake pedal 328. The master cylinder shown is also connectedto a supply reservoir 328 which also contains an auxiliary vacuum powerbrake-applying means having a vacuum line 328 connected to the intakemanifold. This arrangement is more fully described and is claimed per sein application No. 609,716, iiled May 6, 1932, by Roy S. Sanford andEugene G. Carroll. v

In Figure 2, a speedometer drive 838 is shown driven from one o theshafts 284 by suitable gear-and-'shaft connections.

This application is a division of our copending aggication Serial No.591,427, filed February 6, 1

While various particular constructions have been described herein indetail, it is not our intention to. limit the scope of the invention totho'se particular constructions, or otherwise than by the terms of theappended claims.

We claim:

1. A vehicle comprising an engine having a.

vsource of differential fluid pressure, an accelerator pedal, drivingwheels, means to transmit power from the engine to the driving wheels,said means including a. change-speed mechanism positioned` between thewheels operable to transmit power `from the engine to the driving wheelsas a direct drive when operating in second iand high speeds, power meansincluding a dinerential iluid pressure actuated motor to selectivelyactuate the speed-change mechanism, and means including a heel actuatedpedal positioned adjacent the lacf celerator pedal for actuating saidpower means. y

2. A vehicle comprising an engine having a source of diierential uidpressure, an accelerator pedal, driving wheels, means to transmitpowerfrom the engine to the driving wheels, said means including achange-speed mechanism positioned between the wheels operable totransmit power from the engine to the driving wheels as a direct drivewhen operating in second and'high speeds, power means including adifferential liiuid pressure actuated motor to selectively actuate thespeed-change mechanism, means including a heel actuated pedal positionedadjacent the accelera.-

tor pedal for actuatingv said power means, and means including lamanuallyvoperable control to pre-select any desired speed, said meansrequiring any increased force to select reverse gear.

3. A v'ehicle comprising an engine having a source of differential iiuidpressure, an accelerator pedal, driving wheels, means to transmit powerfrom the engine to the driving wheels, said means including achange-speed mechanism positioned between the wheels operable totransmit power 'from the engine to the driving wheels as a 'direct drivewhen operating in second and high speeds, power means including adiii'erential fluid pressure actuated motor to selectively actuate the.35. speed'change mechanism, means including a heel actuated pedalpositioned adjacent the accelerator pedal for actuating said powermeansl and .means including a' manually `operable control to pre-selectany desired speed, said means requir- 40 ing an increased force toselect reverse gear, said change-speed mechanism operating to drive theslower wheel rather than the wheel oerlng the leastresistance.

4. In an automotive vehicle provided with an engine and driving wheels,a change-speed transmission mechanism, -a clutch mechanism inter`connecting said engine and transmission, and

other Jclutch mechanisms interconnecting said 5 transmission and wheels,power means for operating the transmission mechanism only after theaforementioned clutches have been disengaged, and means for controllingthe operation of said power means comprising two separate se- 10 lectorvalve mechanisms.

5. In an. automotive vehicle provided with an engine and driving wheels,a change-speed transmission mechanism, a clutch mechanisminterconnecting said engine and transmission. and 15 other clutchmechanisms interconnecting said transmission and wheels, power means foroperating the transmission mechanism` only aiter:l the aforementionedclutches have been disengaged, and means: forcontrolling-the operation20 of said power means comprising two separate Vmanually operableselector valve mechanisms.

both of said valve mechanisms being capable of operation prior to adisengagement 0i' said clutches to thereby provide means for preselect-25 ing an operation of the transmission. v 6. In an automotive vehiclecomprising an' engine, an accelerator, and drive wheels, twointerconnected change-speed transmission units' serving to in partinterconnect said engine and 30 l wheels, power'means for .operatingsaid units. manually operable selector units for controlling theoperation of said power means, and accelerator operatedmeans for in partcontrolling the operation of said power means, said means comprising twoseparate motors, each of the afore-

